When planning their wedding in 2023, Kathy and her fiancé decided to select a wedding charity, rather than have a traditional gift registry. As Kathy explained it, she and her husband already felt blessed and didn’t need anything new, so they decided to ask their guests for charitable donations in lieu of gifts. Kathy liked the ease of asking her guests to make a donation rather than shopping for gifts. She selected AdoptAClassroom.org because she had already seen us in action and was passionate about supporting education.
Why this couple chose wedding charity to support teachers
Kathy’s personal connection to education runs deep. As an adult, she has mentored students and been involved with after-school programs in Los Angeles. Her daughter is currently a kindergarten teacher at a Title I school in L.A., and has previously worked with high-schoolers and 3rd graders. That proximity to the frontlines in education gave Kathy up-close and personal insights into the daily challenges teachers face, and fueled her desire to make a difference.
“I see my daughter dip into her pocket to bring not luxury items into the classroom, but necessities,” Kathy said.
Kathy knows that it’s not just Title I school teachers who are in this position, but that it’s a nationwide issue. She noted, “It would be one thing if their wages were going up alongside their classroom spending, but that’s not happening. The teachers I know are not going to allow their children NOT to have what they need in that classroom. It’s a tragedy that as a society, we’ve got things so backwards and upside down that we’re depriving schools and teachers of resources that they need.”
Why AdoptAClassroom.org?
When asked about what made AdoptAClassroom.org stand out to her as a wedding charity choice, Kathy told us, “I love that, as a donor, you know exactly what you’re going to fund, and you know exactly what needs the teachers have. You can choose to support what you believe in from the site. So I just think it’s a really terrific opportunity for people to help.”
Kathy recognizes the impact that teachers had on her early life, to the extent that she can remember the name of every teacher she had from kindergarten through 8th grade! Seeing how the positive influence of teachers has carried through her life, with the benefit of now being able to comprehend the challenges they face, is what inspired Kathy to continue being a champion for teachers and ask for donations to AdoptAClassroom.org from her close family and friends.
As Kathy so eloquently put it, “I stand up for teachers because they play an indispensable role in shaping the future of our society. They’re the architects of knowledge; they mentor, guide, and inspire the next generation.”
Kathy enthusiastically recommends AdoptAClassroom.org to others considering making the same leap for their nuptials. “I’ve had a great experience. I felt like AdoptAClassroom.org staff were so terrific at giving me personal attention to figure out how to do this. They made it very easy. The other thing that I loved is that I knew when a donation was received. It helped me track donations and send our guests a thank-you. It was wonderful and I’m going to continue to give to AdoptAClassroom.org outside of the wedding.”
How donations are put to work immediately
Thanks to donors like Kathy, AdoptAClassroom.org was able to support 28,000 classrooms and 632,000 students in 2023. Without that help, teachers are spending an average of $860 of their own money each year on classroom supplies. Charity Navigator has awarded AdoptAClassroom.org the highest possible rating of 4 stars for 13 consecutive years, providing donors with confidence that their donation will be used effectively. With nearly 90 cents of every dollar donated going directly to programs supporting teachers across the country, AdoptAClassroom.org is also one of the more efficient nonprofits around.
Would you like to support teachers with your celebration?
Contact us at [email protected] or join our mailing list below to learn more about how you can stand up for teachers and support AdoptAClassroom.org’s mission to advance equity in education, one classroom at a time.